Control knob cluster for a tv receiver or the like



July 12, 1960 LL EIAL 2,944,429

CONTROL KNOB CLUSTER FOR A TV RECEIVER OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 COMMIT jzderezb'rs Thomas @Duz/"onf Harry r1rerrsapi July 12, 1960 DUVALL EIAL 2,944,429-

CONTROL KNOB CLUSTER FOR A TV RECEIVER OR THE LIKE Filed NOV. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 La 1 I Jazz/W15 728omas 6301/0134 Harr fi'ZYQFCQO/Q'l Un at f O CONTROL KNOB CLUSTER FOR A TV RECEIVER OR THE LIKE Thomas E. David], 7545 Lyons, Morton Grove, and Harry Ehrensaft, 7426 Kenneth Ave., Skokie, Ill.

Filed Nov. 12,1958, Ser. No. 773,441

4 Claims. c1. 7-4- 103 rative skirt around the main knob. presents an attractive appearance outside the cabinet.

-The mainknob has gear teeth around that part of its periphery located within the cabinet that mesh with a coarse tuning gear train which operates a station selector in coarse tuning operation. A fine tuning gear train mounted coaxially with respect to the coarse tuning gear train is driven by a finetuning knob which is mounted withinthe confines of the main knob. A number of other auxiliary control knobs are similarly situated and knob cluster adapted to operate a plurality of control pPate nted July 12, 1960 Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the main knob of Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa cross-sectional view through axis 3--3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the intermediate plate of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through the axis 5 -5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of the indicating panel of Figure 1;

Figure 7'is an enlarged view like Figure 1 but showing a modified form, of the present invention; and

Figure 8 is a view in cross-section through axis 8 8.,-

,Figure 7, on a somewhat reduced scale;

There is shown generallyat 10, Figure l, a control mechanisms in a IV receiver or the like and to form w "an attractive appearanceloutside the TV cabinet without operate their respective Icontrolmechanisms independently of each other. v

The intermediate plate'and indicating panel are so mounted in the main knob that the main knob rotates around them without interfering with the operation of the auxiliary control knobs. Also, the main knob may a trim plate. The main knob 12 is received in part within the; cabinet 14 of the :TV receiver as shown. This portion has external gear teeth which are in engagement with a coarse tuning geartrain which operates a station selector 20'w'ithin the cabinet in coarse tuning operation. An auxiliary. control mechanism 'located'within the confines of the'mainl knob is afine .tuning knob 22 having afine tuning g'ear. train which operates the'station selec+ tor 20 infine tuning operatiorif The gear trains are mounted coaxially with respect to one another so that they'are operable independently of each other.

The Icontrol knob cluster10 may also house a number 7 of other auxiliary control mechanisms, such as avertical hold knob 28, which'operate and controlvariouscircuits within the TV receiver bymeans of potentiometers or other adjustable devices;

Referring' now to Figures .1, 2 and 3, main. knob -12 is of cylindrical conformation and has a portion 11 which is located outside the TV cabinet 14 and a portion 13*which is located withinTV cabinet'14. Outside por-' tion 11.is provided with a decorative skirt 32 which extends around the periphery of the knob. As can best] I v beseen in Figure 1, skirt 32'extends up to and in closely be easily separated from the TV cabinet by removing the indicating panel.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like which is adapted to operate a plurality of control mechanisms independently of each other.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like which presents an attractive appearance outside the TV cabinet'without a trim plate.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved control knob clusterfor a TV receiver or the like having a plurality of auxiliary control knobs located within the confines of the main knob. g I It is still another object of the present invention to provide -an improved control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like that is pleasing and attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation, easily assembled and disassembled, and compact in volume.

The novel features which we believe to be characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Our invention itself, however,

together with the further objects and advantages thereof,

will best be understoodby reference to the following drawings in which: a r

. Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view with parts'in cross-section of a control knob cluster made in accordance with the present invention;

description taken in conjunction with the accompanying spaced relation to 'TV cabinet-14, thereby effectively hiding the opening in thecabinet into which the control knob cluster'isin'serted and also provides an attractive and'pleasing appearance outsidethe cabinet.

The'rnain' knob 12 has an internal outboard facing shoulder 34 in close proximity to outer portion 11. "The? knob. 12 alsoihasan internal inboard facing shoulder 36 which is of lesser diameter than outboard facing shoulder- 34 and in close proximity to inner portion 13 of knob 12.-

Inner portion 13 is provided with teeth 16 of limited axial extent which operate, through a coarse tuning driven] gear 18, the station selector 20 in coarse tuningoperation;

as will be discussed in more detail hereinafter. 7 A plurality of auxiliary control mechanisms are lo-: cated withln the confines of the main knob l2. All of these mechanisms are partially mounted within theknob 12 by means of anintermediate plate 38 and a detachableiiindicatingfpanel 40. Referring now to Figures If and 6, .the indicating panel 40 is of circular conformation and fits adjacent the outboard facing shoulder 34' of-inain knob 12. A number of sizable holes 42 have been cut in indicating panel 40 to receive auxiliary con-' trol knobs (such as knobs 22 and 28 as shown in Figure 1') which control, amongst other things, brightness, fine? tuning, 'vertical hold, contrast, and turning the 'TV re-" ceiver on andofi. The indicating panel 40 is also pi'ovided with a number of mounting holes 44, the of which will be described in; more detail hereinafter;

:Referring now to Figures 1,4, and 5, the-intermediate. pjat 38, whichja1sois of circular conformation butofi Mil operate the station selector in coarse and fine tuning operation respectively; a main tuning knob of cylindrical conformation having teeth of limited axial extent in engagement with the coarse tuning driven gear, said knob extending outside the cabinet and having a decorative skirt outboard the cabinet and extending to closely spaced relation therewith, the knob further having an internal outboard facing shoulder and an internal inboard facing shoulder of less diameter than the outboard facing shoulder; an intermediate plate affixed to thepanel and protruding outboard the same within the confines of the knob and adjacent the inboard facing shoulder thereof; an indicating panel removably secured outboard the intermediate plate and overlaying the external outboard shoulder of the knob; and a fine tuning knob with a drive gear in mesh with the fine. tuning driven gear located within the confines of said main knob.

2. A control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like and adapted to operate a station selector in coarse and fine tuning operation and to present an attractive appearance outside the cabinet without a trim plate comprising in combination: a mounting panel on said cabinet having a horizontal plate on which said selector is received and a vertical plate; coarse tuning and fine tuning coaxial driven gears adapted to operate the station selector in coarse tuning and fine tuning operation; a main tuning knob of cylindrical conformation having teeth of limited axial extent in engagement with the coarse tuning driven gear, said knob extending outside the cabinet and having a decorative skirt outboard the cabinet and extending to closely spaced relation therewith, the knob further having an internal outboard facing shoulder and an internal inboard facing shoulder of lesser diameter and in closer proximity to said vertical panel than the outboard facing shoulder; an intermediate plate outboard of and affixed to the vertical panel within the confines of the'knob and adjacent the inboard facing shoulder thereof, whereby said intermediate plate and indicating panel serve to lock the knob against longitudinal movement and as shafts around which the knob rotates; a fine tuning knob on said indicating panel with a drive gear on said vertical plate in mesh with the fine tuning driven gear, said control mechanism located within the confines of said main knob; and a plurality of auxiliary control mechanisms, each having a knob on said indicating panel and a control mechanism on said intermediate plate.

3. A control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like and adapted to present an attractive appearance outside the cabinet without a trim plate comprising in combination: a mounting panel on. the cabinet; a main knob of cylindrical conformation extending outside the cabinet and having a decorative skirt outboard the cabinet in closely spaced relation therewith, the main knob further 7 having an internal outboard facing shoulder and an internal inboard facing shoulder of lesser diameter and in closer proximity to said mounting panel than the outboard facing shoulder; an intermediate plate outboard of and affixed to the mounting panel within the confines of said main knob and adjacent the inboard facing shoulder thereof; an indicating panel outboard of and removably secured to said intermediate plate within the confines of said main knob and adjacent the outboard facing shoulder thereof, whereby said intermediate plate and indicating panel serve to lock the main knob against longitudinal movement and as shafts around which the knob rotates; a plurality of auxiliary control mechanisms, each having a knob and control mechanism located within the confines of said main knob whereby the main knob and the other knobs are operable independently of each other.

4. A control knob cluster for a TV receiver or the like and adapted to present an attractive appearance outside the cabinet without a trim plate comprising in combinafacing shoulder thereof; an indicating panel outboard of and removably secured to said intermediate plate within the confines of said main knob and adjacent the outboard facing shoulder thereof; and a plurality of auxiliary control mechanisms each having a knob and control mechanism partially mounted on said indicating panel and each operable independently of each other and said main knob, whereby detaching the indicating panel allows removal of the main knob without affecting operation of the auxiliary control mechanisms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,644 Meyer May'29, 1923 2,615,420 Felt Oct. 28, 1952 

